Axis My India Chairman and Managing Director, Pradeep Gupta, broke down on live TV and started crying as the 2024 Lok Sabha election results came in, contradicting his agency’s exit poll predictions.
The incumbent BJP is struggling to reach the majority mark of 272 seats and might not meet the exit poll projections or secure a majority on its own.
Pradeep Gupta appeared on India Today’s live coverage of the election results and cried, prompting the anchors to console him during the panel discussion.
Most exit polls released after the final round of voting on Saturday predicted a commanding lead for the BJP and NDA.
A combined “poll of polls” from 14 exit polls projected the NDA would win 365 Lok Sabha seats, up from 352 in 2019, while the INDIA coalition would get 146.
However, the actual results were quite different from Pradeep Gupta’s exit poll predictions.
In tears, Gupta said, “Axis My India has conducted exit polls for the last 10 years across 69 elections, including 2 Lok Sabha elections. Our predictions have been correct 65 times, with various Opposition parties, including Congress, winning during those times. Our track record speaks for itself.”
As of early Tuesday evening, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance was leading in nearly 300 seats, while the INDIA alliance was ahead in 229 seats, according to data from the Election Commission of India.
Despite the unexpected results, Axis My India has a strong track record. Sometimes predictions go right, some go wrong, but Pradeep Gupta remains a respected figure in election coverage on India Today.
